What You Need to Know About Establishing Paternity

Family law in Baltimore and throughout Maryland allows possible fathers to challenge paternity, regardless of whether or not they are married to the mother. Men may seek to establish paternity because they want to be sure that the child is theirs, while mothers may seek to establish paternity for the purpose of obtaining child support. Family law allows paternity to be legally established with an Affidavit of Parentage, which is a document that the father will sign while the new family is still at the hospital or birthing center. Family law requires that this document be signed in the presence of a notary public.

If the father isn’t completely sure that he is indeed the father, then he may wish to consult a family law attorney before signing this affidavit. The man who is presumed to be the father has the right to request a genetic test before signing it. If paternity is not established with an affidavit, then genetic testing may be requested. The parties can use a consent order to legally establish paternity when the probability of paternity as determined by the genetic test is higher than 99%.